S P O RT S MEDI C INE
Get ready to roll
Self-myofascial release with a foam roller has many therapeutic qualities for volleyball players. If you haven’t tried it, you should
by Aaron Brock and Jimmy Stitz Photos: Peter Brouillet
VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS, LIKE ALL ATH- letes, are always searching for the most efficient and effective ways to maintain their competi- tive edge. With the recent boom in monitoring technology and social media, there’s a lot of information to comb through. One tool that has shown promise in both academic research and in our practical experience has been self- myofascial release (SMR). Put simply, myofascial release is any technique where individuals can use their own body and any number of external devices to put direct, self-regulated pressure on various musculature of the body. SMR has been shown to decrease perceived muscle soreness, increase blood flow and increase range of motion in the joints. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on
the use of a foam roller. Foam-rolling is widely used across many levels of different sport disci- plines. It benefits athletes both pre- and post- activity and can also help injured athletes make quicker returns to training and competition.
Foam rolling as part of a dynamic warm up
It’s widely accepted that warming up before any activity benefits performance, whether it’s volleyball, weight lifting or even a jog around the neighborhood. If you’re not foam-rolling as part of your current warm-up routine, you may be missing benefits that could optimize your training session. In our experience working with the U.S.
Men’s and Women’s National Teams, the big- gest benefit of pre-activity foam-rolling is the decrease in perceived muscle soreness. Everyone perceives soreness in their own way. Depend- ing on your pain tolerance and your level of strength, muscle soreness can impair your abil- ity to have an effective training session. If you can tolerate the brief period of discomfort that foam-rolling causes, you may be able to over- ride some of the soreness you’re feeling from previous training sessions and improve your
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movement quality. Additionally, one of the things we know about activity is that, as you start to train, the body sends blood to the muscles doing the work. By rolling out your body, you may be able to get a head start on this process. The increase in blood flow before a training session delivers nutrients to the muscles such as addi- tional oxygen or blood glucose. These nutrients are essential for muscles to function properly. Finally, foam-rolling has shown promise in
increasing range of motion in the joints. It’s our belief that the pressure associated with rolling out helps desensitize various structures within the muscle that allow it to achieve a greater length. Increasing the range of motion that a joint can move through will increase flexibility and quality of movement. Both of these benefits can be helpful in reducing sport-related injuries.
Foam-rolling as part of a post-activity cool down
One of the more overlooked aspects of training is the importance of the cool down. A proper cool down allows the body to more efficiently shut down the systems it uses during training and begin the process of recovery and regeneration. For the same reasons that pre-ac- tivity foam-rolling can be beneficial, foam-roll- ing afterward can help the recovery process. The science for post-activity is the same
as it is for pre-activity, but the goals of each session are different. For example, decreas- ing perceived muscle soreness and increasing range of motion can be beneficial after activity, especially if it’s high-intensity activity. As we finish high-intensity training, our body begins to “lock up.” The natural response of exhausted
Pictured from left to right, Aaron Brock (director of sports medicine and performance for the U.S. National Teams), U.S. Men’s National Team player Garrett Muagututia and strength and conditioning consultant Jimmy Stitz.
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